MidCity

As our city struggles with the highest crime, and murder rate in the country it is refreshing to see goodness does still exists here in all it's wierd and wonderful forms that only New Orleans can capture as seeming natural. As we rebuild our housing developments bigger and better than ever before I hope we find it a good idea to also build low cost housing for artist and writers who don't make much money and many are living in substandard apartments or homeless in this city. Building an artist colony would welcome more artist and creative people here thus bringing more goodness to our city. So, what do you think?

Just look at the condition of our city streets and it is a direct reflection of our real concern for this city. No it is not the soft soil. Other places which have the same soil conditions have much better streets, i.e. Metairie. This place is falling apart everywhere. There is such a lack of investment here it is almost insane. Just look at the French Quarter and the condition of the streets and sidewalks, all falling apart and that is the economic engine of the city. The surrounding neighborhoods are in worse condition, much worse. We can't even build a skateboard park for our kids, or reopen a closed amusement park, or build a mall with a large theatre complex,or have a vibrant lake front with beach vollyball, restaurants, attractions, beaches, etc. like all other waterfront cities. Our kids learn only one thing, how to shoot someone. That is there entertainment.

Just another reason to love Drew Brees, helping the economy by creating jobs. Mr. Brees please build it here in the New Orleans area and I will be the first in line to buy some clothing from your company. Best of luck with the venture and I truley hope it is a huge success. Go Saints and Go Drew Brees.

Please don't let our Do Nothing Downtown Development District have anything to do with the Entertainment District if it is implemented. Our Do Nothing Downtown Development District would surely ruin it. Just look at the condition of retail on Canal Street. The "T" shirt shops and camera stores that don't sell anything but remain open in order to laundry money. Our wonderful DDD knowingly allows this. If the DDD had its way, New Orleans would become one big "T" shirt shop. The Big "T"easy, kinda has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

For New Orleans sake, please will someone bring back an entertainment area to New Orleans lake front. I live in New Orleans and remember Westend Park and how it mentally transported you to Key West on a Sunday Summer evening eating seafood and relaxing on the back decks of the restaurants that lined Westend Park's lake frontage. All of us should ban together and demand that New Orleans rebuild commercial entertainment areas along the lake front. Citizens of New Orleans don't let the lake front of New Orleans remain exclusively for the very, very selfish and extremely rich who belong to the Southern Yacht Club and the New Orleans Yacht Club. We should all enjoy the lake and get that Key West experience right here in New Orleans. REBUILD WESTEND PARK!!!!!REBUILD WESTEND PARK!!!!! REBUILD WESTEND PARK!!!!!!!

Please for New Orleans sakes don't let the Do Nothing Downtown Development District have anything to do with it. They will just levee the taxes and do nothing but take the money but put it in their pockets. Somebody should really look into what those guys are doing and also what they are not doing.

Great idea so maybe we can get all of these empty buildings in our down town filled with new businesses relocating to New Orleans. The New Orleans Do Nothing Downtown Development District can't seem to get anything done. It is good to see at least at the state level that something is being done to promote business. Bobby, please save New Orleans and give us a new Downtown Development District. A DDD that actually does something.

If Louisiana is truely serious about expanding tourism, then Louisiana should look at New Orleans and all of it's assets as the key to improving tourism. Besides the French Quarter, New Orleans has a River Front that is almost undeveloped as a tourist destination. Only the small area of the river front which runs along the French Quarter is used for tourism. Imagine if we built hotels, restaurants,music clubs, amphitheatres, green spaces, etc. along the rest of the river front how that would enhance tourism and improve the quality of life for locals as well, not to mention more jobs. The river front is only one asset not fully developed. Look at New Orleans Lake Front. Again, another asset not being developed. Remember West End Park, Pontchartrain Beach, Spanish Fort, Etc.? All lost due to lack of investment by the state and local government and a lack of private investment. If Florida took the New Orleans example and applied the same attitude there would be no Panama City, No Destin Beach, No Disney World. Thank God those places are in Florida and not in Louisiana, because if they were they would not exist. If Louisiana would put all it's efforts into New Orleans then it would get more out of New Olreans than New York State gets out of New York City. I wish someone would wake up and see the lost potential of New Orleans.

Please for the love of New Olreans let this park begin construction. It is too important to this city's future to keep delaying it's construction. I truely pray that all those concerned will come to a decision that New Orleans should come first and greed does not hold the whole process up. Let all of us join together and make this happen.

Since the Loyola post office is slated to close any way I would like it to be converted into a large sports store thus making the Superdome, Arena, victory square area "The Sportsmans Paradise" of the Gulf South. Think about it. We could become the sports capital of the United States. It could happen with investment and imagination.

Why didn't New Orleans get this center? More people would visit the space center if it were in New Orleans. I think NASA missed a great opportunity to showcase NASA's culture and industry leading technology, oh and of course the wonders of space exploration. I guess sending people to some obscure wooded area in Mississippi makes since, but only if you think like NASA.

Good work and congratulations to those at the GNO. If this were a story about the Saints there would be hundreds of comments. Unlike the New Orleans Saints the people of the GNO are making New Orleans a better place to live and no one here even comments on their hard work and accomplishments. Well, GNO I care. Now if we can just get our sorry, lazy, do nothing, Down Town Development District to do something, anything at all.

Wow, this is sorely needed in the French Quarter. Our sidewalks and streets in the French Quarter are the worst of any tourist area of any city in the country. They are an embarrassment to the City Of New Orleans. I am glad to see something might finally be done to correct this glaring problem. I pray to God that this is really going to happen and it is not just another hollow proposal.

I sense frustration from a lot of people due to loosing New Orleans to the thugs that are helping to ruin New Olreans. Well, the answer is not retreating to the North Shore. The answer is to move back to New Orleans and vote in local elections, demand improved schools, and open up businesses here that will ultimately provide employment to everyone. Let us all build a dynamic economy in New Orleans. There is unlimited potential here, with the river front, the lake front completely undeveloped. Not to mention, the Arts and Warehouse district in it's infancy and a Down Town that is ripe for redevelopment. If you Love New Orleans like I do and the personal freedom it represents you will join me. I moved from the North Shore to New Olreans Arts and Wharehouse District and I now enjoy a lifestyle that is truly world class and beyond. The Arts and Wharehouse District is a paradise and should be expanded so that their is room for those that want to really enjoy life. Come to the Beer Fest and stay to seek asylum from boredom. New Orleans is truely a Gem that is in dire need of polishing.

This is a plea to all vendors at the New Orleans Beer Festival. Please will someone who loves New Olreans and making money please open up a Brew Pub in the French Quarter. Crescent City Brew house is the only Brew Pub in New Olreans. It is great, but it is primarily a restaurant. Please for the love of New Olreans Someone open up a Brew pub in the French Quarter. You would expose your products to millions of people from all over the world. If you want to make money and have international exposure put a Brew Pub in the French Quarter. Beer help build New Orleans, hopefully Beer will help save New Orleans. Bring on the Beer.

This is a plea to all great Po- Boy restaurants in the New Orleans area. I work down town and there is a complete void of good Po-Boy restaurants in the Down Town area of New Orleans. I just don't understand it millions of tourist and locals have to settle for the worst Po-Boys in dirty establishments. I can't call these places retaurants because that would insult the meaning of the word restaurant. Please for the love of New Olreans, someone open up a great Po-Boy restaurant on Canal Street Down Town and save the reputation of the New Orleans Po-Boy to the world.

Kudos to the French Market for bringing this festival back. Now if they can just get rid of the cheap junk being sold there and bring local atrist back. Tourist and locals both would benefit from locally produced art and crafts, not to mention the reputation of the French Market and our city. wake up!!! French Market, quit sending our money to a Wealthy Indian merchant and China. Employ our Artist and our Crafters. Help keep our money here so we have the money to rebuild this once wonderful city.

It is unfortunite for everyone that a very wealthy merchant from India has our politicians and establishments in his hip pocket. This man owns most of Canal Street and all of the "T" shirt shops in the Frenchquarter. If he wants his cheap junk to continue be sold in the French Market then it will be sold there and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The French Market and Canal Street are an embarrasment to this City in their present form. As long as wealthy people who are not from New Orleans and don't care about New Orelans are allowed to do what ever they want then this is what we are going to be allowed to have. Watch out, Magazine Street will be his next victim unless he is stopped.

I like your ideas jazzland, but it seems our politicians always dissapoint us with proposals that put money in their pockets completely ignoring what is best for the community and what the community wants.